Promise Me
by KneesandWings13
Summary: She has kept every promise she has ever made to Gabriel, but can he do the same? (M for language, mild smut)
1. Chapter 1

**One** _big promise_

I paced, my nerves on edge. I felt him appear behind me, and I turned towards him, trying to strengthen my resolve as I looked into those beautiful golden eyes. He reached for me, and I took a step back. I could see the pain I felt reflected in his eyes.

"Jaz? Please tell me what's wrong?" He looked around our condo, then back at me. "Where are the kids? What the hell is going on?"

"Gabriel, for once, I am going to talk and you are going to listen." His eyes widened but he stayed silent. "The kids are with my parents, I needed a chance to talk to you without them here." I could feel my chest tighten, my pain, his pain, like riding a knife edge.

He stepped closer and this time I stood my ground, his fingers tilting up my chin, our eyes locking. He swallowed hard. "You're thinking about leaving, aren't you." It was more a statement than a question, and I nodded.

I fought back tears as I spoke. "Gabriel, I love you more than anything, but I don't know if I can do this anymore. It isn't fair to the kids." I took a deep breath. "I shouldn't have to make excuses for why their father is barely around anymore. I shouldn't have to tell my 4 year old daughter that it isn't her fault that her daddy isn't here, or have to reassure my 2 year old son that his father really does love him."

Gabriel looked like I'd just punched him in the gut. He took a ragged breath and sat on the sofa in front of me, putting his face in his hands. Everything in me wanted to throw my arms around him and tell him it was ok, but I couldn't.

He looked up at me, his eyes grief stricken. "Jaz, I don't know… please tell me what I need to do to fix this. I can't lose the kids." He stood up and grabbed my hand. "And I don't know what I would do if I lost you. Please… baby please just tell me how to make this right." He looked so lost and afraid and my heart twinged.

I gently squeezed his hand, thought about letting it go but didn't. "Gabriel, I know that with everything going on right now, I mean I understand that your brothers and sisters need you. But we need you to. You have to find a balance, somehow." I stepped closer and leaned into him sliding my arm around his waist. "You know how much I love you, I just…" I felt the tears start, and his arm slid around me, his face pressing into my hair. "Gabriel please just come back to us, it feels like even when you're here you're not really here. I don't want to do this alone." I shifted so I could look up at him, our faces inches apart. His lashes were spiked with unshed tears, his body trembling against mine.

"I'm going to fix this, Jasmine I swear I will." His lips brushed my forehead. "You and the kids are my every good thing. Please promise you'll stay, tell me how I can make this up to you, baby I'll do anything, just, please just don't leave me."

I felt like I was dying inside, my heart torn. "I can't promise that." He looked stricken, and I gently cupped his face. "Gabe, listen to me. I can't promise that yet. Prove to me that you mean what you say, be the kind of father your kids need." He nodded, and I leaned in and brushed my lips against his. "I need you to be the man I fell in love with."

He crushed me to him, his mouth grazing mine, fingers tangling into my hair. "Anything baby, I swear to my father, I'll do anything."


	2. Chapter 2

**Two** _have and to hold_

"Tell us another story daddy!" I watched as Evee bounced on the couch next to Gabriel, who quickly switched Vincent to his other knee so his sister didn't knock him over. "Such a bossy little girl." He laughed and hugged her closer to him. "Can you sit still long enough for another story?" The little Nephilim giggled at her father. "Maybe I can daddy, if you read fast."

I smiled at him as his eyes met mine, before he turned back to the kids and began reading. I headed into the kitchen, and leaned against the counter. It had been a week, and so far he had kept his promise. He had been home every night, and I had to admit it was really nice to no longer fall asleep alone. I took a deep breath and closed my eyes. Please let this last, I thought. Please let this really be happening, please, please let this be a forever thing.

I gasped as his lips brushed mine, my eyes fluttering open for only a moment, he deepened his kiss and I clung to him. His hands slid up the back of my shirt, fingers caressing my spine, his mouth making its way along my jaw and down the hollow of my throat. "Need you" he whispered.

We lay curled together, long after the kids had fallen asleep, hands caressing each other, enjoying the feel of skin on skin. "Hey baby" he whispered softly. I looked up. "Is it too soon, I mean, you said you'd promise…"

I pressed my face back into his neck, nuzzling him. "Gabriel" I grazed my lips along his throat, jaw, nipping his ear. "You should know by now, I always have been, and always will be yours and only yours." His hands threaded through my hair as he tilted me back, his mouth eagerly searching for mine.

He deepened his kiss, our hands roaming each other, familiar territory but still we burned like wildfire when we were together. His mouth and hands were everywhere, my breath and body shaking, like I could never get enough air with him inside me. My name sounding like a prayer on his lips, no space between our sweat soaked bodies as a tidal wave of pleasure rushed through us. Clinging to each other, the only sounds our labored breathing, exchanging soft kisses and caresses. Murmured I love yous and I promised and kissed me again, hot, deep, needy.


	3. Chapter 3

**Three** _little words_

"But you promised. Gabriel, you promised…" I stood there in the kitchen, trying to keep my voice down, the last thing I wanted was for the kids to hear us. "You said you were going to be here…" I felt tears stinging my eyes.

He pulled me into his arms. "Baby, I swear it's only for a couple days. Please, just, I need to do this." His hands stroked my back, and I clung to him.

"Only two days" I whispered into his chest. "Gabriel, promise me…"

"I swear baby. Only two days."

I wanted to believe him, I wanted to so badly.


	4. Chapter 4

**Four **_months later_

I twisted the small silver band on my left hand, staring out at nothing really. I heard the kids in the living room playing with my parents, after so long it felt good to hear them laughing again, to know they were happy. I looked around my parents kitchen, well, our kitchen now too. I had waited two days. I had waited a week. A month, and I still waited.

At three months, I called my mother, and when she got to the condo I gave her the news. Not just that Gabriel was gone, but the bigger news. I slid my hand over the small baby bump, it was just starting to be noticeable.

Once again, I twisted the small silver band, thinking about taking it off. But I didn't, I couldn't, because he had promised he'd come back, and no matter what was said, or unspoken by everyone, I knew he would. He had promised.

I tried again, unsuccessfully, to move out of bed. I couldn't remember ever having this much difficulty with Evee or Vincent, either way, I was beyond ready to just push him out at this point. I heard my mom giggling from the door. "Need help sweetie?" I gave her a withering look. "Nah mom, just thought I'd lay here all day like a beached whale." She stumbled over, laughing almost hysterically. "Just gimme a minute to catch my breath baby girl and I'll help."

How had I managed to do this before, I thought. Maybe my son just wanted to be difficult like… I forced myself to not think about Gabriel. He was coming back, he promised. It was the one truth I clung to, what I told myself every night as I lay in bed alone, and every morning when I got up. He had promised me.

I was feeling exhausted, try being eight months pregnant and doing anything, it's impossible. Especially with my mother and father hovering constantly. I finally managed to get a moments peace, standing on the back porch.

I felt a small hand grab mine, and I smiled down at Evee. "What's up buttercup?" She looked down and shifted her feet. "Momma, do you think daddy will come home soon?" I felt my heart seize in my chest. "I don't know Evee, but I do know that he promised me he would come back to us." She smiled up at me, with all the faith a child can have. "Don't worry momma, me and Vincent will help you take care of our little brother until he can come home." She skipped away, all smiles and bouncing curly hair.

Gabriel, I prayed, wherever you are, come home soon, don't let me have our son alone. Please keep your promise.


	5. Chapter 5

**Five **_doors down_

I tried to breathe as my dad pulled up to the hospital, Evee and Vincent sitting with eyes wide beside me. "Just breathe momma" Vincent said reassuringly, patting my arm.

Breathe, fuck, this was way too much, I was terrified to have this baby alone. They put me in a wheelchair, and headed towards the elevators. God bless small hospitals, labor and delivery was on the second floor, short trip, and ya, fuck this pain.

We got settled into a room, and the contractions seemed to start to normalize, according to the doctor. She smiled and told me that I could be in labor for another four hours, I wanted to separate her smiling head from her shoulders. I needed Gabriel, seriously. The kids were fine, but my parents were hovering. Gabriel would have been rifling the drawers in the room by now, making me laugh and keeping me distracted.

I closed my eyes and thought about when Evee was born, Gabriel pulling forceps out of the drawer and offering to extract her for me. _You sure? He had said, laughing. You're not sticking that thing in me! I had yelled. Him, waggling his eyebrows. You know, the last time you said that to me you wound up pregnant…_

I had the weirdest feeling suddenly, like he was close. Really close. I sat up slowly, and my mom almost freaked out. I waved at her. "Its ok mom, please ask the nurse if I can walk around, please?" Mom quickly ran out and came back with a nurse. "You'd like to walk, Mrs. Novak?" I nodded. He was close, I knew he was close. The nurse helped me out of bed. I bee lined for the door, and told the nurse I wanted to walk alone thank you very much.

I was in room 214. I walked slowly, room 215, 216, 217, 218. I stopped in front of room 219. The door was shut, but there was no one around. I opened the door slowly, and made my way around the curtain. I couldn't breathe, it was him. Laying completely still on the bed, his chest rising and falling slowly. I started to cry as I made my way over. "Gabriel" I whispered, my hands gently smoothing his hair, touching his face. I felt a hand on my shoulder, and saw a dark haired, blue-eyed man in a tan trench coat standing there.

He looked me up and down. "You must be Jasmine. We tried to locate you, but Gabriel had you hidden exceptionally well."

It was then that all hell may have well broken loose. I heard my kids yelling daddy from behind me, my mother gasping and crossing herself, my father yelling for a nurse. Oh, and the angel beside me looking beyond panicked as my water broke. I felt the nurse and my mother trying to gently pull me away, but I was having none of their shit and I clung to my husband, sobbing.

It was sheer force of will that kept me from falling when the next contraction hit, and it took the doctor, nurse and several other people to get me back into my room. I heard the doctor telling me I needed to push, but I couldn't. I screamed Gabriel's name as another contraction ripped through me. My vision started to get fuzzy, like everything was slipping away.

"Push dammit!" The world came back into focus with Gabriel screaming in my ear. I barely registered he was next to me, and I pushed with everything I had, half leaning into him, "Push baby, c'mon, almost there." I sobbed and pushed again. "Just one more baby, just one more push, don't make me get the forceps." I almost managed a laugh as I gave one final push, then collapsed into darkness.


	6. Chapter 6

_Hot_** Six**

I woke slowly, feeling a bit dizzy. "Slow and easy baby" I heard Gabriel's voice and turned, he was sitting beside me on the bed, holding our son. Gabriel helped me sit up, and gently handed him to me. I held the sleeping bundle, he looked so peaceful, and just like his father. "We never had a chance to discuss a name." Gabriel gently stroked his son's cheek. "Did you have any ideas?" I turned and looked into his eyes. "Several, actually" I kissed his nose and grinned. "I knew you would come back to us, so I wanted to wait for you to help me decide."

"Jaz" he leaned over and his lips brushed my neck. I slid my free hand up and touched his face. "I missed you baby" he whispered into my ear. I pressed my forehead into his. "Not as much as I missed you" I realized he was still wearing a hospital gown, and couldn't resist sliding my hands down his exposed back and squeezing his bottom. He gasped dramatically. "Wow, miss me that much babe?" He waggled his eyebrows. I leaned forward, giving him a serious look. "You realize I've gone 9 months without being in bed with you." I leaned over towards his ear. "Your ass and everything that is attached to it is mine as soon as we get out of this place." He devoured my mouth, leaving me breathless when he finally pulled away. "Is that a promise?"

It was a bit weird, coming home to my parents' house with Gabriel. I already had the nursery set up, and the kid's rooms, so we decided to just go with it for the moment. I was glad their room was on the main floor, because after we fed, bathed and put the kids to bed, we headed straight for my old/our new room. Gabriel snickered at the pastel pink comforter on the twin bed. "Think we will fit on there baby?"

I grabbed the front of his jacket and drug him to the bed. "After over 9 months, we could be in heavens jail and I would still ride you like a cowgirl." He yanked me into his arms and next thing I knew he was on top of me, both of us naked. "Giddy up"

Our kisses were hot and messy, hands squeezing and nails digging, my body arching into each deep thrust. Him yanking my hair, biting into my throat, me trying to muffle my screams into his chest. Harder and harder, like he was trying to fuck me into the mattress, making up for lost time. Sweaty and gasping, desire coursing through us, pinpoints of lights in my vision as pleasure rocketed throughout my body. Ragged breathing, him rolling us over so I was half collapsed on him, clinging to each other. Whispering words of love, sighs of contentment, fingers dancing on skin.

I woke and stretched, surprised how well I slept in the small bed. Gabriel was standing by the window, holding our son, I watched as he spoke softly to him. I got up and walked over quietly, and leaned against his shoulder, it's weird how you sometimes forget little things. He was so solid, so strong. Little things you don't think about or notice until they are gone. Had he always smelled this good?

"Edgar" Gabriel said, looking down at me. "I was thinking how you like Poe. What do you think babe?" Smiling, I leaned up and kissed his cheek. "I think it's perfect."

I fed and Gabriel changed Edgar, then he carefully layed him back into the crib. We stood there and watched him sleep, Gabriel's arms around me. After a while, I gently tugged his hand, leading him back towards the bed. He smiled and scooped me up, carrying me the rest of the way.

We stretched out together, our lips and hands exploring each others bodies. He slid on top of me, hands squeezing my breasts and hips. I gasped, parting my legs eagerly for him. He groaned as he entered me, my nails digging into his back and hips arching up to meet each thrust. "Gabriel" I whimpered his name as his teeth grazed my throat. He rolled over and pulled my up so we were facing each other rocking his hips up into me, long and slow thrusts that were quickly driving me over the edge. "Jaz, baby, feels so good" his words were breathless in my ear, and I pressed my face into his neck as i came, his name a muffled scream. His body shuddered and he gasped as I felt him filling me with his come. We held each other, panting, foreheads pressed together. "Love you baby, love you so much" "Love you too"


End file.
